How to Think Like a Philosopher

The Sunday Times bestselling author of How the World Thinks shares his twelve key principles for a more humane and balanced approach to thinking in this vital new book.


Pay attention.

As politics slides toward impulsivity, and outrage bests rationality, how can philosophy help us critically engage with real world problems?

Question everything.

Drawing on decades of work in philosophy including a huge range of interviews with contemporary philosophers, Julian Baggini sets out how philosophical thought can promote incisive thinking. Introducing everyday examples and contemporary political concerns - from climate change to implicit bias - How to Think Like a Philosopher is a revelatory exploration of the techniques, methods and principles that guide philosophy, and how they can be applied to our own lives.

Seek clarity, not certainty.

Covering canonical philosophers and focal movements, as well as introducing new voices in contemporary philosophy, this is both a short history of philosophy and an accessible, practical guide to good thinking. Through twelve key principles, Julian Baggini outlines a pathway to a more humane, balanced and rational approach to thinking, to politics, and to life.